


Serendipity

by Plusharine



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bad Puns, Coincidences, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Humor, MMORPGs, Multi, No idea what I'm doing, Reader is Female (sorry I just don't know how I would do smut without a gender), Relationship(s), Romance, Slow Build, Soul Sex, probably smut, soul, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-07-01 15:45:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15777141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plusharine/pseuds/Plusharine
Summary: A series of events pushes you to escape to the fantasy world of a massive multiplayer online role playing game with your bestie. You make new friends and start becoming attached to the fresh connections. As you juggle your online life and reality, a chance encounter with a monster has you confused and conflicted. What does the future have in store for you? Is there such a thing as fate?





	1. Log In

A deep sigh fills an otherwise quiet room. It's midnight. Where did you go wrong? Lying on your bed alone in the middle of the night with no purpose. It's been a few years since you've held a stable job and now your sleep schedule is stuck on third shift. "I need to get out." As soon as the words left your lips, echoing back off the walls, the gears spun wildly in your head thinking of every possible reason not to do what you just suggested. Go out where? Why? Aside from your best friend you had no one that wanted to keep in touch past the polite "we should meet up sometime".

Shifting slightly causes your hand-me-down bed to squeak in anguish. Your eyes sweep over your furniture. A single blackout panel covers your tiny window. Light would seep underneath during the mornings due to your neglect to check the dimensions before purchasing the curtain. Nothing a quick roll toward the wall couldn't solve though. A bookcase you found at Wellwishes, a popular thrift store, stands neatly next to your window. A collection of objects littered the shelves. Magazines, manga, a cute animal shaped coin bank that was clearly an impulse purchase as it only had a single quarter in it, various anime dvds and game cases with no disks in them. Your game disks were neatly tucked away in a CD case that held more than fifty disks, collecting dust. When was the last time you played any game on your backlog?

Games just weren't as interesting as they used to be. It used to be so new, everything was exciting but now nothing could keep your interest for longer than a few hours. "What happened to my youth?" another sigh of resignation escapes you before quickly being followed by an indignant groan. "Alright me, stop being such a downer. There has to be something I can do to get my mind off of reality."

The reason for the seemingly midlife crisis you were experiencing in your late 20s was a recent lay off at your latest job. It was finally a place where you could clock in every day and get decent pay without harrassment or any problems that would cause anxiety to flare up. They just couldn't afford to pay anymore and shortly went into bankruptcy. The problem was that your work history was spotty already and they were the only place that took you in with no questions asked. Now, here you are, jobless yet again. Who would be willing to hire you at this rate?

You needed an escape. Gingerly propping yourself up from the bed your hand reaches for the tiny electrical device that had the world in its clutches. The bed was just a little too far from the small table that sat across the room next to the bookshelf. "This would be a perfect time for my Jedi powers to activate." After a couple of seconds of scrunching your eyebrows in concentration you stop and stand up. "Lets see if Varian is awake." Varian is your best friend of over a decade. He's always been there for you in a completely platonic way. A real bro. There was a time when you two had contemplated a relationship but decided against it. There was just too much a difference between your ideals.

Me: Hey are you awake?

Your arms drop to your side, moving to sit in the office chair that you 'borrowed' from your last desk job. A short vibration signaled a reply and you giddily swipe your screen to check.

V-boi: I wish I wasn't

You plop yourself on the mesh chair and spin toward your table, fingers pecking at the bright screen quickly like second nature.

Me: I need something new to do. You have any ideas?

V-boi: The last time you asked me this, you got bored of the game in fifteen minutes

Me: Aww but that game was boring!

V-boi: You are the only person in the history of ever that thinks an open world action RPG is boring

Me: What was it even called again? Dropout 3?

V-boi: Fallout! FALLOUT! You're dead to me

Me: Noooooo I'm sorry oh great lord Varian. Please help this poor soul find entertainment.

V-boi: Fine. There's an mmo that I've been playing lately that's pretty popular

Me: Oh I've played a lot of mmos... what's the gameplay like?

V-boi: It's a typical korean mmo you make a character and then grind till your life ends, but at least in this one you can choose to specialize in whatever you feel like! It had a good story too

Where have you heard that before? Every new mmo claims to bring something new to the table but in the end it's just the same old monster grinding simulator with different art styles and graphics. But you're desperate and will take anything right now.

Me: Ok what's it called I'll download it tonight.

You set your phone down and move your right arm down so that your hand can find the power button to a clean mid pc tower. By far one of your most expensive personal belongings, built from scratch and tenderly cared for every week. Your life once revolved around PC gaming so most of your paychecks went into building and upgrading your rig. The slender twenty two inch monitor was something donated to you by Varian. He was tired of you using an old tv when your graphics card could pump out way better visuals.

After a few clicks and google searches, you find the mmo Varian was talking about. "What a pretty homepage!" One could tell right away they cared about first impressions. The layout was clean and easy to navigate. They even had their own wiki! Another vibration catches your attention.

V-boi: Have you seen the news?

You tilt your head questioningly at the text. The news was always the last thing on your mind. Life was already stressful enough without knowing what hell was unleashing around you.

Me: No what's up?

V-boi: Riots because of the new law that allows monsters to marry humans

You slap your forehead in disbelief. It's been a few years since the monsters had appeared out of Mount Ebott. It was complete chaos. They had since started becoming integrated into society. Less and less instances of racism appeared on the news. It became normal to see them as a part of every day life. But there were still objectors especially when new laws passed giving them more rights. They would always surge back with renewed energy ready to protest. There were quite a few kind monsters you have gotten acquainted with from the grocery store to the gas stations. Heck you even worked with a few who had been excited being able to marry their partners. How could you forget today was the day they would pass the most controversial law?

Me: I hope no one will get hurt this time around...

V-boi: We can only pray, humans have proven to be more monstrous than the monsters could ever be

Me: I'm just glad that enough people are voting for these to pass

V-boi: Yeah. I might go check on some places and make sure they're ok

You took a moment to admire Varian's selflessness. As much as you supported the monsters in your heart, the most you had ever done to show it was to follow your friend to an event once. With a silent vow you promised to make a little bit more effort to help a monster in need when it comes to it.

Your PC makes a small noise signaling that the download was complete, snapping you out of your thoughts. The game still needed to install so you begin clicking next repeatedly until the window showed a bar slowly being filled up. Noting the size of the game, it was likely that it would take a few minutes yet to finish. This was a good a time to shower as any. After hopping out of your chair and sending Varian a quick message to acknowledge that you had read his previous text and updating him of your plans, you walk briskly out of the room and into a small hallway.

"I wonder what Jaina would say if she knew I lost another job... I hope she doesn't kick me out."

A few years ago there was an ad on Kraiglist for a room in a cozy two bedroom. The poster only required that the applicant be recreational drug free, smoke free and not a heavy drinker. It seemed like it would be easy to fulfill but from what Jaina told you, everyone had at least one of the things she objected to. You really lucked out in that respect. Rent here wasn't nearly as expensive as other places with the same amenities. But you were still jobless now.

In preparation for situations like this, there is a savings account kept exclusively for depositing money you didn't use. A modest amount piled up and you were confident that your livelihood would not be threatened for a while. However it wouldn't last forever. "I need to find another job, quick."

The shower was short and sweet, just enough to wash away some of the anxiety still clinging stubbornly to your mind. After properly drying yourself and leaving the towel lazily on your shoulders, you return to the room and sit down in front of the monitor. Clicking finish on the game installer closed the window and popped up a launcher in its place. A banner slid through five images showing all the current events, teasing at rewards that would either require large amounts of grinding or a deep real life wallet. You go through all the motions of opening the game and changing the settings to your liking before clicking character creation.

Ah, the screen that most people spent more time on than playing the game itself. The more options you were given, the longer it took. You didn't really care for spending too much time on it but didn't want to look like everyone else. "What is the best way to handle this...?" A button on the bottom right of the screen catches your eye. With a flick of the mouse the cursor hovers over an image of a chibified face. Some help text pops up revealing it to be a face capture button. "Enables you to take an image yourself and have the system create your character based off that?" Did you really want everyone knowing what you looked like outside of the game? Why not? Would anyone even recognize you? "Let's go with that then!" It was different and you certainly were unique, at least you hope so.

A few clicks later and your picture had been taken, scanned and your character's features morph accordingly to best replicate your selfie. With a content smile, your hands move onto the keyboard and start looking at classes. The basics of any game were available. Warrior, mage, cleric, and archer. A few other specialized classes also filled the screen. Paladin, thief, fighter, gunner, Unspecialized... some of the classes even branched off into other classes. Your head spun from all the choices. For some reason something with range sounded appealing this time around. After clicking through all the archer and gunner branches you switch to the mage. "Summoner, elementalist, battle mage, witch and time wizard." All the classes sounded exactly as they were played. Time wizard seemed to have a more supportive role while still being able to defend themselves. Taking into account that you'll be playing with Varian and maybe other people in group content this sounds like the most beneficial choice. Satisfied you click confirm and another window pops up. 'Character name' Something plain that didn't sound too obnoxious... you tentatively brush over the keys spelling out your character's name.

Chronoshard

You read the name a few more times before accepting it as the least likely to be taken. A click supports your theory. A lone mage loads into what appears to be dilapidated ruins. Gentle music floats out of your speakers accompanied by birds chirping and other ambient noises. Moving the mouse around shifted the character's head. A tutorial window appeared giving brief instructions on how to move and use items. After acclimating to new controls you reach for your cell phone once again.

Me: I made a character!

V-boi: Sweet what did you make?

Me: A spell slinger, a force of nature, a mean lean mage machine~

V-boi: Please don't talk like that when we're together

Me: Embarrassed by my amazing vocabulary?

V-boi: I'm more embarrassed by your lack of shame

V-boi: Since you're a mage you likely started in the Everlasting Forest, start walking around till you find the town

Following Varian's directions you move around until a large logo appears on your screen signifying a cross into the town's threshold.

Me: I'm here I think.

Suddenly a voice pierces through the music, making you jump. "Really Chronoshard? What are you a preteen?" Varian chuckled. You scramble to find your headset, finding it loosely hanging off the side of your chair arm. A small motion was all you needed to replug the usb back into it's proper slot. Huffing loudly into the mic, the game recognizes your new input and projects it from your character. "I don't want to hear that from a guy who is conceited enough to name himself 'King'." Single worded names that were common like that were hard to get and showed how early on Varian had actually started playing. You had started way later so there was no way you could have gotten anything like 'Chrono'. You open up the menu for character gestures and choose the one for joy.

"I'm surprised this game has built in voice chat!"

Varian's character, King, moves to thrust his sword into the ground and puts his hands onto the end of the hilt like some regal lord before a battlefield. His model looked very well protected, covered in a overly detailed set of silver armor that pulsated with a glow that you could only assume was an enchantment. He grinned, "This game has a lot of things that make it really fun. I'm glad you were willing to give it a shot."

A giggle escapes your lips as you observe that the character mouth moved in not so sync with the voice input. It was awkward but not all that jarring. Taking on a slightly more serious tone you ask how the news was going. King sat down on the floor and assumed a solemn position. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be, probably because of how long it has been since they appeared. I'm still worried about some of my friends though." You take note that with enough inputs you could make your character very expressive and sit across from him. "You going to check how they're doing once morning hits?" you ask. King nods curtly and replies, "That's not for another few hours though. We can get some game time in the meantime."

Appreciating his effort to keep things on the more positive side and wanting to help him also take his mind off of things, you start spamming every emote and gesture to get an idea of what you can do. Varian's laughter only makes you combine more ridiculous faces with poses that looked completely out of place. After a few minutes you understand the basics and move your character's arm out toward King, pointing your staff at his chest.

"Ok what should I do now? Start quests?"

King stands up and moves to brush your staff to the side. Unrealistically his plated hand phases through the top of the staff. There didn't seem to be any object collision. He crosses his arms and lets out another chuckle, "One of my buddies is actually heading over here after a quest. Once he arrives we can head on out and carry your baby butt to the main town at least."

You let out a snort, "I am unworthy of your majesty's generosity." King shrugs and shakes his head, "It'll be better if we can get you to a level where we can start doing content together. I got a huge lead after all" You have no real retort to his logical statement, so you start making jabbing motions with your staff into his side. If this was real he would be grunting in fake pain. You had a feeling that he would probably fake it even in the game if he was in the mood. You look around town to see that most of the other newbies were running around talking to NPCs and collecting or turning in quests. The forest surrounding the town seemed to encompass all the huts, protecting them from outside harm. It was a beautiful place. 'A shame that it was just a starting area', you thought to yourself.

Suddenly a loud crack resounded behind your character. The camera view made it impossible to see things that were on the other side of your model. The noise had caught you by surprise and your hands left your keyboard in shock.

A deep playful voice rumbled in your ears, "don't you know how greet a new pal?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback if you can. English isn't my first language so if something sounds weird or awkward I would love to know.


	2. Icebreaker

A gloved hand waves in front of your camera bringing your attention back to the game. A small flick of the mouse prompts your camera to drop slightly down to reveal a white robed figure.

His hands tuck into large sleeves and the model looks quizzically up at you. It's impossible to see the face as a comically large blue scarf is wrapped around his neck and nearly drags on the floor. A shadow is cast from his hood, obscuring any other semblance of a face. It must be a special effect from the equipment itself because the light filtering through the trees should be enough to see *something* at least.

The staff leaning in the crook of his arm implied that he was a caster of some sort. You take a moment to check his name. 'Eclipse'

"i think i broke your friend, king" his voice had a pleasant, rich timbre.

You see King motion toward you, "Might have just left to drop a number two."

Instead of biting at the obvious bait, you regain your composure and the newcomer with a smile, "Hi nice to meet you, Eclipse!"

He pauses a bit before extending his arm toward you expectantly. A help note pops up on your screen, informing you that someone was trying to interact with you. You accept and your character moves to shake his hand.

"Sorry I was a little surprised by the loud entrance." you explained.

"heh sorry, bet you weren't expecting that" he replied sheepishly. "i wanted to test out an effect i got from a quest" Varian moves next to us and cuts in, "Well now that introductions are over we should probably start questing and by questing I mean you pick up quests and we kill everything." Accepting this proposal you run into town grabbing every quest you could spot. This was a familiar ritual and something that every player had to go through unless they planned on killing mobs for the rest of their in game lives. Quests granted experience points and money for doing menial tasks. The benefit of money was a given. Experience points would accumulate and you would level up, granting any number of benefits. Additions to your stats, skill points, etc. Some quests simply asked you to speak to an NPC, non-player-character, and then relaying a message to another NPC, two feet from the previous one. Others would ask you to deliver items or kill a set number of monsters.

You finish the rounds in town with a giant log of quests even after finishing all the interaction ones. A list of objectives sits neatly on the right side of your user interface. Feeling accomplished, you return to the pair standing near the gate of town.

"Alright let's get this party started!" King chimes after welcoming you back. With a sweep of his hand Eclipse's staff disappears and in its place a book appears, "literally". Shortly after this gesture a window appeared on your screen asking you to join a party. When you press confirm the book in Eclipse's hand closes and vanishes and King's and his name appear on the left of your screen. Their health and mana points clear for you to see. "Oh cool there's actually an animation for forming a party?" you ask out loud. Little details like this were things you appreciated in video games. With the overly expressive poses and facial expressions you should have expected it but it was still a pleasant surprise.

"yep. king here forgets to form one every time though"

Your accused friend turns his back toward the two of you and laughs, "I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm always on top of things."

"yeah that's why you ran into that dungeon by yourself and sent me a confused message wondering why no one was with you" Eclipse scoffs.

"Hey! Don't bring up my shameful past! That was ages ago, almost when we first started!"

You laugh a little at their exchange, wondering just how long they had known each other. You knew little to nothing about Varian's game life since you never really wanted to play games as of late. He hung out with you often in real life so it never occurred to you that he had other relationships elsewhere. Perhaps you were a bit of a bad friend for not asking about what he did in his free time nowadays. He never really spoke about anything but work or similar interests. You make a mental note to make more of an effort in the future. A thought crosses your mind that had nearly been forgotten since he had cut in earlier. "You said an effect that you got from a quest earlier! There are things like that?"

Eclipse turns to you, confused for a moment before realizing what you were referring to, "oh yeah. you can get all sorts of visual or sound effects for different things. my explosive teleport is one of the more difficult to get"

King snorts at him, "Difficult he says. I've been doing that quest for almost a week and still haven't cleared it. Difficult is an understatement." he shakes his helmed head before continuing, "And then this guy clears it in a single day."

"what can i say? it was a real **blast** "

You can almost see the expression on Varian's face when you hear a long exasperated groan coming from his character.

"you could probably clear it if you didn't have such a **short fuse** "

You see Eclipse shrug mockingly, "instead you **bombed** it fourteen times"

At this point something clicks and you realize the quest must have something to do with explosions. Before you can comment, King turns around and points a finger angrily at Eclipse. "You know for the laziest healer I've ever had the displeasure of partying with, you sure are efficient with all these optional quests!" A healer. So you were right in assuming he was a caster. You hovered over his name in the party list and sure enough it revealed that he was a high priest. Priests in most games were blessed with holy magic and their roles in parties were to heal and protect the members. In some games they even fought in the front lines. You were still unfamiliar with the specifics of any class so you were unsure how difficult it would be to play a healer yet but remembered that high priests were one of the advancements for the cleric.

"haven't i done a great job protecting you? you haven't died a single time" Eclipse retorts.

King makes a contemplative humming noise before sighing dejectedly, "You're right and I hate it." He straightens up before turning to you "We don't have all night, let's get your quests done." You make your character nod in agreement and start reading off the quests. Even though Varian had said that they would be killing everything for you, in actuality they left you to your own devices. Collecting berries from bushes, beating up small creatures and taking care of farm animals. On occasion there would be a large monster in an area that would spot you and proceed to charge angrily. King would promptly draw it's attention and beat it up. Eclipse stood at a distance. He didn't seem too interested in helping more than he had to. You were worried with such high level party members the experience would be affected but they assured you that if the gap was large enough all the exp just went to the lowest. It made it really easy to power level someone.

"I wish all games made it that easy. Even though you guys are not abusing it at all." you muse to yourself. Power leveling would certainly make you stronger, faster. However this was a new game that you just started. Did you really want to just get carried? "Nah. Actually that's boring."

The rest of the night went by uneventfully. You were still low level so the quests never really got challenging. Neither of your party members talked much after a few hours so you turned off your mic and opted for some music to accompany the quests. There was a slight scare at one point where you had gotten an area-of-attack skill and excitedly tried it on a group of mobs that were one level higher than you were. In the end they were killed without any problems because your health never seemed to drop. Varian had stopped moving a while back, his snoring could be heard from his frozen character. You lean back in your chair and look at your window. Some light was starting to make its way in slowly.

You yawn and stretch, leaning back in the chair, "Maybe I should sleep a little... then again I have no plans for the day... maybe I'll sleep a lot." A tiny voice in your head reminds you that you were playing with someone else. You sit up straight and start typing in the chat, "Uhhh Eclipse are you still around?" You spot his white robe next to a tree and move toward it. His character is sitting in the shade, arms folded on top of his propped up leg, staring out into the distance. Or at least you think he is. You unmute your mic and lower your voice to a whisper, "Hey, you awake?" His head shifts up toward you nodding in acknowledgement. You move to sit a foot away and look out in the direction he had been facing.

"You tired at all?"

He puts his arms down to his side and chuckles, "nah. lots of things on my mind"

Eclipse had been hanging out with you all night, mostly out of sight but it occurs to you that he might have been the reason you never dropped to dangerous levels of hp. "Thanks for helping me tonight." He nods in response, "that's my job". Silence hangs afterwards for a few minutes. Why was conversation so hard!? You wrack your brain for a topic you could possibly discuss. Normally when meeting someone new there was plenty of small talk one could use to fill the space, but that seemed a bit superficial for someone that might be your companion in the game for a long time. Desperate you blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"So.... how about that monster marriage?"

You facepalm in real life. It sounded like you were asking about a sports team or the weather when the topic was the heaviest it could be.

"yeah crazy stuff" his tone of voice didn't change and he didn't seem to bothered at all by the subject.

Just roll with it. It's out there now, no going back! "King was telling me about the riots. I have a lot of friends who were really excited for this but it feels like haters are always going to hate."

"oh? you have friends who want to marry?" his attention was on you now.

"Of course. It's been years, I used to work with a lot of humans and monsters. Some of them were interracial relationships. I'd be more surprised if someone had never seen a monster before."

"used to?"

"Used to. A lot of stuff happened. Not really comfortable talking about it."

He respects your privacy and changes the topic, "so what do you think about monsters?"

"The same I think of humans? I mean I haven't met an asshole monster before so they have one up on humans. I guess it never really mattered to me what the difference was. For example it's not like the monsters that came out of Ebott are like those monsters." Your character points toward some of the mobs in the game. "It's just like having another race appear. DLC for the game of life? Something like that. Wait that sounds really stupid."

"...."

"Sorry it sounded way better in my head."

"if it's any **console** ation you **render** ed me speechless"

The emphasis on the words catches your attention and you turn to him with a look of mock disdain, "Seriously?" You shove his shoulder and your hand passes through him but the action got the point across regardless.

Instead of responding with voice he decides to type the next line, "sorry i lost ctrl of myself for a second"

Eclipse is laughing contagiously now. You can't help but join him in laughter, "First the explosions now this. You're a **pun** ny guy!"

He covers his face with his gloved hand and it almost seemed like he was covering his already hidden face. The ridiculousness of the act makes you laugh harder. "Are you trying to save **face**?!"

A chime sounds as a little emote of a face in tears appears next to his head. "eye see what you did there" The torrent of puns related to faces rains endlessly on you for the next few minutes. You had run out of ammo long ago, not really familiar with making puns so often.

Soon the laughter fades into a pleasant ambiance. He sits up and gestures toward you, "you're alright bud".

For some reason the way he said that made you believe it was a genuine compliment. A smile forms on your face when another window pops onto your screen. 'Eclipse would like to be your friend.'

You accept without a second thought. The two of you don't say anything more, content. A few more minutes pass before he speaks again.

"knock knock"

You stare dumbfounded, "Who's there?"

"orange"

"...Orange who?"

"orange you going to sleep?"

You realize that after talking with Eclipse the sun was now lighting up your room completely from under your curtain. When did it get so bright? What time is it? 10 am. You frown at your clock. The time had come and gone. You had even forgotten how tired you were just a moment ago, but it was creeping back now reminding you that it was time to log off.

"I should probably hit the hay."

"sounds good"

You exchange goodbyes and Eclipes' character vanishes. You close the game and set the computer to hibernate before getting up and throwing yourself onto the bed. As far as you were concerned, it was still night until you went to sleep and today was a good night. A lot of progression was done in game and you made a new friend. You may still be jobless but that can wait for another day. Things were good for now. Take everything one step at a time. You grab the almost forgotten towel from your shoulders and toss it unceremoniously onto your chair.

"I better set an alarm." You wanted to at least be awake before the sun went down. Satisfied, you pull the comforter over your head, roll toward the wall and close your eyes. Surrendering yourself to fatigue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this so many times.


	3. Invitation

Beep. Beep. Beep. BEEP. BEEP.

Alarms were the worst invention ever created. They made loud offensive noises. They tried to force you to wake up. You grab your phone and groggily attempt to swipe the phone open and smash the snooze button. The phone asks for your pin and you curse everything that told you to set that damn thing.

At this point, you're awake. The alarm had succeeded at thwarting any attempts to delay your awakening so you give up and get out of bed. It was 4pm now. Six hours of sleep. Your sleep schedule is most definitely messed up. Your stomach growls angrily. Food sounds really good right now. As if on cue a delicious smell wafts into the room.

You follow the smell out into the kitchen where a raven haired woman stands, cooking what appears to be dinner.

"Wutcha cookin Jaina?" you ask.

She turns around to look at you and smirks, "Beef stir fry and you look like a zombie."

"I feel like a zombie." you move next to her and peek at the pan. The sight of the food makes you feel even hungrier. "There wouldn't happen to be enough for me too, would there?"

She smiles knowingly before switching off the heat, "Sure if you tell me what's got you looking like death visited you but gave up half way."

Jaina had a knack for being able to tell when something was off. It could be a little unnerving sometimes. You needed to tell her about the job situation anyway and this was a good a time as any.

\--------

Jaina stabs her fork into piece of beef as you finish telling her about your current financial standstill. She gives you a long stare before jamming the meat into her mouth. This wasn't the first time you lost a job while living with her. You had proven that you could get keep providing rent regardless. After what felt like an eternity of chewing, she swallows and speaks, "Man you are the unluckiest person I've ever lived with. At the same time you're the only one I've been able to stand being around for over a month... so I don't really mind. I trust you." She puts her elbow on the table and leans against her hand. "Also you're reliable. So no worries."

You let out a sigh of relief. Even though a part of you knew it would be ok, it was more reassuring to hear it. "I appreciate it."

She nods before eating the remains of her dinner. You finish yours as well and offer to wash the dishes. Jaina happily complies and hands you her plate, "I'm heading off to work, make sure you get some rest. Hopefully the next job is the last one you need." She waves before disappearing down the hallway. You hear the door creak open and then click closed.

A part of you wants to cry for having such an understanding house mate, "Praise Kraigslist!" You rinse off the soapy plates and stand them on the drying rack. After drying your hands you check the time again. An hour had passed since you woke up and you didn't feel tired for how late it was. You grimace, "That's what I get for sleeping so late." Why not make the best of time you have? It's already late, you had dinner. This was a perfect time to get some gaming in! You return to your cozy room and wake the pc from its hibernation.

The game loads up and your character stares back at you. You take a second to admire the progress you made last night before logging in. The sounds of a forest float into your headphones and you smile to yourself. Your friend list reveals that no one is online. Varian had said he wanted to check on his friends today so he most likely wouldn't be getting on. You didn't know what Eclipse did so you figured he was just busy. Then again not everyone played games every day... Determination surges through you. This was an opportunity to get some solo adventuring done and maybe close the gap a little. You wanted to be able to do quests of the same level so they wouldn't have to be considerate. "Let's do this!"

\--------

Your character grabs their staff and points it toward the sky. Wind swirls around you and flames flicker brilliantly in a wheel. A casting circle appears beneath your feet as light gathers at the tip of the staff. It shines a luminous red as it reaches its peak. The characters don't have voice acting as there is in game voice chat so amazing skills never had any accompanying lines. You let the spell begin the attack animation before yelling, EXUSPOLOSIONNNN!!" The monster becomes enveloped in fire before turning black and dropping to the floor. "Haha I always wanted to try saying that once." Your screen sparkles and plays a short tune. Another window pops up, 'Congratulations on level 30! You can now advance to a new class'. The moment you were waiting for! You could now change from a standard mage to a time mage. Your eyes skim over the requirements listing several items you needed to acquire and the NPC that would guide you through the advancement. Some of the items were easy to obtain, but there was one boss drop. Bosses were monsters that were much more difficult to kill alone. Most people would group up to conquer a boss. "I might have to ask for help from others."

It had been a few hours since you started leveling. The quests led you from zone to zone until you ended up in the "main" city, Trustinvald. Many players crowded the streets going about their daily routine. It was a hub for adventurers. Players could even open shops along the streets to sell or trade their wares. This was also where your class NPC was located. You walk over to the bulletin board and check for people who might be killing the boss you need. Premade parties or people looking for groups can post a listing on the board, allowing anyone who met the requirements to join. Unfortunately there was no such luck. You grumbled under your breath, "How am I going to get this done?"

"get what done?"

The voice startles you out of your thoughts and you turn around to see a familiar priest. "Eclipse! I didn't even see you log on!"

He shrugs, "you can't see log notifications while looking at the board"

"Ohhhh..." you hum at this new information, "Wait how did you know where I was?"

He makes a pointing motion that isn't really directed at you, it appeared as if he was interacting with his ui, "when your friends are online it also says what town they're in"

You open your friends list to check and sure enough under Eclipse's name, read Trustinvald. The city was huge but it was a simple matter to find someone when they were leveling. There were only so many places they would visit. Still you had to make an effort to find a single person in this ocean of players. "Were you looking for me?" you ask.

"just curious about what you're up to. i see you hit 30" he claps lazily. You wonder if he is as listless in real life as he is in game. "Yeah I just got the advancement quest!"

He brings a glove up to his face in contemplation, "oh i see. you need to kill the boss"

You nod dejectedly.

"i can help you if you want"

This offer makes you perk up, "Would you really!?" Your character's eyes sparkle as you input the emote.

Eclipse sends you a party invitation and then inspects your equipment. Your diligence had provided you with a full collection of uncommon gear that granted bonuses for being from the same type of monster. "welp looks like you're _set_ " He holds out a hand, "let's go" You accept the offer of teleportation on your screen and the both of you vanish from town.

\--------

A logo appears on your screen decorated in bats and dark colors before fading away. You and Eclipse load into a desolate cave, shrouded in darkness. "That was pretty cool. I've never been teleported outside of the return skill." The tip of his staff lights up faintly, just enough to be able to see a few feet in front of yourself. "it's useful for getting to places that don't have a waypoint". You look around the cave. There's nothing but rocks and dirt. The walls appeared slightly damp and you can make out the sounds of squeaking bats. "So is the boss I need to kill in here?", you ask cautiously.

"yep" he begins to cast several different skills that causes your character to pulsate with a faint light. He was buffing you. A common support tactic where one would empower their party members. Your status bar fills with effects you had never seen before. Health recovery increase, mana consuption decrease, reinforced armor, magic damage increase, etc. "Wow this is... are you setting me up to take down an army?"

He chuckles at the remark, "you might have to. i'm just a healer"

It dawns on you that you are in a potentially dangerous dungeon with just a healer and a magic caster, "Oh joy." A balanced party would consist of a person with high hp and defense, a short range physical damage class, a healer, and a ranged class of some sort, but here you are with half of that. "Are we going to be ok?"

Eclipse elbows you playfully, "do you trust me?"

"Do I have a choice?" you scoff.

The two of you venture deeper into the cave, caution to the wind.

\--------

"Never again." you step back into town, feigning exasperation. The entire exploration consisted of puns of varying degree relating to caves, bats and rocks. Even after reaching the boss you couldn't escape the onslaught of bad dad humor. The fight itself was hilariously easy. The disparity between what you thought a huge cool looking skill would do versus what actually happened, had you dumbstruck. Silently, you praised Eclipse for his amazing support. He was surprisingly active in keeping you alive during your mistakes and maintaining the buffs constantly. However, if you were not watching your health and status bar you wouldn't have been able to tell. His character barely moved at all.

"I just realized almost none of your abilities have any kind of casting animation." you exclaim in realization. He emotes with a grin, "yeah it's an effect. not a lot of people use it because it takes away all the flashy particles. i'm still casting, you just can't see it"

"I don't know anyone who would willingly make themselves look lazy and plain besides you." You make your way to the class advancement NPC to turn in your loot. Luckily the item you needed dropped from the boss otherwise you would have had to endure it multiple times. After a few long dialogue windows where the NPC tries to make your job seem more extravagant than it really was, you were able to change class. Your screen becomes covered in fireworks making it feel a little overblown. Congratulations on becoming a time wizard! You feel as if you've heard this name somewhere in a card game. It was satisfying nonetheless to be rewarded for all the time you put in. A little notification pops up in the party chat as well, notifying Eclipse.

He seems lost in thought for moment, not making any remarks or comments about your new advancement. As you are about to ask if something was wrong, he emotes happily, "grats bud, ask if you ever need another _hand_ i might be able to spare a few _minutes_ "

If he had the energy to make low effort word play, he must be fine...right? You snicker a little, "It took you a while to think that up. Should I be alarmed?"

He pauses again uncharacteristically. He really does have something bothering him. You become increasingly curious. From what you could tell of his personality, puns and dad jokes were like second nature. He never had to think to make them like you did. He was quiet and observant but never really talked about himself. It was an online game after all, not many people wanted to share their personal lives with their virtual friends. Would it be ok to pry after only knowing him for two days? Not trusting your voice you opt to type in the party chat. (C= Chronoshard. E=Eclipse)

C: Hey are you ok?

E: yeah never better

You stare at his reply doubting that this was true. It could be a way of asking you to drop it. He respected your privacy when you preferred not to talk about your work situation. You groan in resignation. Forcing the topic was a bad idea and you valued this budding friendship too much to ruin it by being nosy.

C: Ok. Well I'm always here if you need to complain about how much life sucks.

E: i'll keep that in mind

Somehow it feels a little awkward now. You had a feeling it would continue to be so even if you switched back to talking on voice chat. Your hands hover nervously over the keyboard. 'What do I say now?!'

E: don't stress about it. maybe i'll tell you some day

It was as if he read your mind and you're thankful for it. If the mood kept going the way it was, it might have made it really hard to keep talking to him in the future. You decide that this is a good time to change the topic and start looking around town. It's still bustling with people even though it is fairly late. The clock in game was able to switch from local time or server time so that people could keep track of the time regardless of if your game took up your fullscreen or not. Typing seemed to be the most appropriate means of communication now and you weren't about to be the one to initiate a change.

C: It's pretty crowded. Too bad we can't just be alone somewhere.

E: heh you want to be alone with me? moving kinda fast don't you think?

Your cheeks turns red as you read his reply. It didn't occur to you that your innocent thought could imply something else.

C: That's not what I meant! Like a private place we can go... AHHH there's no way to say it so it doesn't sound weird!!

Even though the noises of the city drowned out most conversations you could hear a muffled chuckle emitting from Eclipse. He had even turned his character away as if he didn't want you to see his face even though it was impossible anyway.

C: You know what I mean!

E: heh sorry it was too easy

You make your character cross their arms and emote angrily. He begins to laugh openly at your antics and then motions for you to come closer. You ignore him.

E: we could go to my homestead

The invitation was surprising to say the least. Homesteads were hard to come by if any of the passing conversation or whiny kids on world chat were any indication. They were instanced private estates that cost a large sum of in game money and were limited in number. People would sell it for copious amounts using the party board as trading room. The benefit of having one was high. You could decorate it with furniture to your personal tastes and best of all you could hire NPCs like blacksmiths, general store managers and even quest givers. You could basically live inside your homestead and never see another player character again unless you joined a party.

C: You have one?

E: want to see?

C: Yes please!

This would be the first homestead you ever saw so you were excited. You wonder what it will look like. Would it be covered in bad jokes? What if he wasn't good at decorating? A thought hits you. He had invited you into a place that could potentially tell you a lot about him. You look over at his character, his back is turned to you again, rummaging through his bag. All the little details in the game never cease to amaze you. Suddenly his character holds up a key and the bag disappears. He turns back to you and motion for you to come closer again. This time you happily comply.

He holds up the key as if putting it into a keyhole and then turns it. The key dematerializes and an outline of a door forms around where it used to be. After a few seconds a wooden door fully appears and swings open. Inside is what appears to be a portal. Eclipse walks into it, his glove beckoning you to follow. You look around to see if anyone else noticed the door, but it seemed to only appear for the owner and party members. Despite it being just a game, it still felt like you were about to see something private. You hesitate in front of the door for a few seconds before shaking your head, "What am I doing? It's just like being asked to come into a house. No big deal!"

With that thought in mind, your character finally steps inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like I have a habit of posting on Thursday mornings.


	4. Eclipse

It's dark. Rather it's dimly lit. You had loaded into what appeared to be a hedge maze. The bushes were sprinkled with small dull colored blue flowers. You look up to see a black ceiling. Nothing at all. A blue scarf slips around a corner in front of you and you hastily chase after it. This wasn't exactly what you imagined Eclipse's homestead to be like, trying to take in the sights around you. Other than the obvious details you noticed a lush grass floor and something seemed to shimmer at the right angles but you couldn't find the source.

The maze was linear, there were no dead ends or pathways that led back into itself. Could it really be called a maze? The center of a room opened up into a clearing where your priest friend stood. The black sky stretched out and encompassed everything in his property. There's a lone telescope propped next to him and his hand is resting on it fondly. You approach him casually, "This is... different."

He turns to you, "so we're talking again?"

You had absentmindedly turned your mic back on to speak because it felt natural. Something about Eclipse made you relax and you weren't entirely sure why. It had just been slightly awkward back in town but he just brushed it off and reassured you without even trying. But now you were in a spot, unsure how to respond to his question.

As if on cue he spoke again, "what do you think?"

Grateful for the change of topic you answer, "I think it looks really cool! It's a little hard to see though." You watch as his hands maneuver around the telescope, turning it like a switch. In an instant the previously black sky filled with virtual stars providing a new kind of ambient light that put you in a daze. The twinkling cast on the blue hedge flowers made them look like they were dancing. You inhale sharply before exclaiming, "Wow!"

Eclipse chuckles at your outburst and sits down on the grass. He moves to invite you to sit next to him. You're too entranced by the visuals to care about personal space and promptly drop down a few inches from his character. "This game lets you do almost anything doesn't it?" you ask out loud.

"yeah it's neat, not as good as real stars though"

You peer over at him, "Yeah but we see real stars all the time!"

He doesn't look at you, staring up at the ceiling, "...true"

You have your character stretch and fall back onto the floor to lay on the grass. It was a simple yet creative use of in game materials. By now it was quite obvious that Eclipse liked stars, maybe even space. Stars for sure. His name could have been made for any number of reasons but this display sealed the deal. "You into space stuff?" you ask.

He lets out a slow exhale before replying, "yeah"

"How into it are you?"

"an _astronomical_ amount"

You feel dread creeping on you as he continues to speak, "i think they're pretty _stellar_. sometimes it's hard for me to _comet_ about it."

"Ughhhh!!" You roll your character away from him. You soon regret that action as he remarks on it the second you do, "hey if needed some _space_ you should have just told me"

"That's it mister. You say one more pun and I... I will unfriend you!" you laugh.

"psh you're smiling"

"I am and I absolutely hate it!"

"you could say, my puns are _out of this world_ "

"Ah!!! You did it! You said it!" you flail your hand on his back fruitlessly as it phases through, "Oh well. It doesn't even... _matter_."

"that was bad."

"I don't want to hear that from you!" you get up and turn to him, forgetting that it's impossible to see his face. A part of you was hoping for some sort of expression. Curiosity takes over and you ask him about it, "Hey is there any reason you have the dark mysterious look on a priest?"

He looks over at you gives you a smirking emote, "first you want to be alone with me and now you want to see what's under the robes?"

Not willing to let him get under your skin a second time you cross your arms stubbornly, " _Sirius_ -ly?" This seems to catch him by surprise as he bursts out laughing, "there's no reason. i just happened to get equips that cover my face" You hum skeptically at him, "Are you sure it's not because you don't want people seeing what you look like? Did you use the character automator?"

He waves his hand dismissively at you, "i did but had to adjust it afterwards"

"Not handsome enough?" you snicker.

"heh, they just couldn't capture my stunning good looks"

He's clearly joking but you snort anyway, "I wouldn't know. Honestly I don't care what you look like... it's not unnerving to talk to a faceless person. The internet kind of trains you to talk to strangers."

"did you use the automator?"

It's your turn to smirk at him, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"i'll take that as a yes" he nods knowingly and laughs as you begin smacking him once again. He holds up his hand as if attempting to catch yours which stops your onslaught of pointless arm waving. His character scooches over, close the small gap the two of you had. Your screen is now completely filled with the top of his hood. Taken aback, you try to zoom out to give yourself some space but to no avail. The game seemed to enjoy having semi realistic vision. His head tilts upward toward you and suddenly the hood falls back. Your eyes widen and you sharply inhale in surprise.

Short unkept snowy white hair framed his pale round face. His pale blue eyes held a half lidded gaze, boring into you. It wasn't uncommon for characters to have unrealistic features such as this, but for some reason you didn't take him as the type to deviate too much from his actual appearance. You wonder curiously if he was albino, giving his color palette reason. The lower half of his face was still covered by his navy scarf but you can make out the edges of a mischievous grin.

"now we're sort of even" his voice brought you out of your reverie.

"Sort of?" you question his wording immediately.

"i know what you look like, but this isn't exactly how i look."

"Is it close?"

"sort of" he emphasizes. You ponder over this, "Well at least I have a sort of face to work with." He chuckles, "not going to ask for details?". You make an exaggerated offended noise, "Please."

He backs up a few inches, giving you space again. "heh i'm glad King introduced you to me"

Once again he catches you unawares and a smile breaks out on your face, "Me too."

"i'm a little scared though" he says under his breath. You tilt your head questioningly, unsure if you heard him correctly, "What did you say?" He closes his left eye and smirks, "i'm scared you'll get us killed in a dungeon one day". You give him another playful smack, "That's what you're here for isn't it?"

"true i have my work cut out for me" he remarks. The two of you look at each other before bursting out in laughter.

He makes a gesture as if checking a nonexistent watch on his wrist, "it's pretty late". After checking the clock to confirm his words you mumble, "Where did the time go?"

Eclipse replies softly, "time flies when you're having fun".

Your ears turn red as the whisper reaches your ears through the headphones. It was a little embarrassing to hear even if it was true. You found yourself looking forward to the next time they could hang out together. Against your better judgment, Eclipse was quickly becoming an important friend to you.

"I guess I should try to get some sleep then."

He nods at your statement, "yeah sounds good. i have to log anyway". The two of you exchange farewells before logging off. You get up and do your usual business in the bathroom before returning to the room and burying yourself in the blanket. As you close your eyes you can hear the pattering of rain outside your window.

\--------

Somewhere else.

\--------

A phalanx taps gently on the computer mouse. The previously lit screen goes black, submerging the room in darkness. Computer fans slow down to a stop leaving only the sounds of a downpour. A blob in the shape of a hooded person pushes the rolling chair backwards, sliding across the wood floor and stopping against the frame of a bed. Skeletal hands slide onto the bed sheets slowly, dragging the rest of his body off the chair and onto the mattress. He rolls onto his back and the hood on his blue jacket slides down his skull.

Eyelights stare hazily up to the ceiling, from what seemed like bottomless eye sockets. "i'm afraid of getting attached," he mutters. Reaching under his pillow, he manages to pull out a smart phone. The bright screen blinds him momentarily when he taps it. A little note on the home screen reminding him that he had plans soon, "sleep looks out of the question."

The door slams open and a tall silhouette walks through the doorway, "SANS. YOU LAZY BONES! GET OUT OF BED! IT'S ALMOST NOON!"

The smaller skeleton on the bed rolls toward the wall, "five more minutes bro"

"BROTHER I HOPE YOU DID NOT STAY UP ALL NIGHT PLAYING GAMES!"

Sans slowly gets out of bed tucking his phone into his jacket, "nah, just thought i needed another nap"

"YOU NAP ALL THE TIME! TODAY WE HAVE A LUNCH ENGAGEMENT AND WE WILL NOT BE LATE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NEVER LATE."

"i know you're incr _edible_ , pap" Sans grins at his taller skeleton brother affectionately.

Papyrus grimaces, "SANS NO."

"but it's your _flavorite_ "

Papyrus emits an audible groan before turning to leave the room. Before completely disappearing into the hallway he looks back at Sans, "TRY NOT TO FALL ASLEEP WHILE GETTING... _DRESSED_!" He then flees down the stairs, a distant 'NYEH' could be heard from the first floor. Sans kicked his fuzzy pink slippers off and slipped on some sneakers sluggishly wondering if he should even bother tying the laces. He hears a knock on the front door as well as his brother crashing through the living room to open it. Shortly after some muffled greetings small footsteps begin ascending the stairs, a small human child slides into the entrance to the room.

"hey Frisk, how you doin kiddo" Sans a little jealous of their boundless energy.

"Hi Sans! Ready to go get food!?" Despite Frisk's stoic appearance their words and actions radiate with emotion. They begin to take in their surroundings. Frisk stares curiously at the rolling chair leaning against the bed then goes back to Sans, looking him from top to bottom. The loose laces make Frisk scrunch their face, "Mom says it's not safe not to tie them."

Sans winks and snaps his fingers, the laces glow with a gentle sky blue and begin to tie themselves. "no worries. not gunna let some laces trip me up"

Frisk covers their mouth with a hand, muffling a laugh. They hold out their other hand to Sans. He takes their hand and the two of them leave the room. At the foot of the stairs stands an anthropomorphic goat, her kind features were accompanied with an underlying regal aura. She shoots Frisk a warm motherly smile, "My child! Sans, so glad you could join us."

Sans raises his free hand in greeting, slowly making his way down the stairs as Frisk hops down each step happily, "looking good Toriel". He looks around the living room to find his brother is missing. Just as he is about to ask, Papyrus enters the room from the kitchen sporting the latest fall fashion from head to toe, "HOW DOES IT LOOK?" he asks reluctantly.

Frisks claps enthusiastically, "You look really cool!" Sans' expression softens and gives him a thumbs up, "everyone is bound to _fall_  for you". Although he knew there was only one monster his younger brother would want to impress. Papyrus groans in response but seems appreciative. He poses confidently, "WE MUST HURRY TO THE RENDEZVOUS POINT." Toriel giggles, "My, why so impatient Papyrus dear? We still have plenty of time."

Papyrus blushes and fidgets nervously,"IT-IT IS BEST TO BE EARLY THAN LATE! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!".

Frisk nods rapidly in agreement, taking his side wholeheartedly. Toriel laughs, "Then let us not waste any time."

Everyone filters out of the house and pile into a small red sports car that was sitting in the driveway. The hood of the convertible had been preemptively pulled closed in preparation for the weather. "DID WE FORGET ANYTHING?" Papyrus asks from the driver's seat. The passengers shake their head in unison. Satisfied, he starts the car and takes to the road.


	5. Lunch and Dinner

"Please enjoy and feel free to call me if you need anything!" The waitress beamed. "THANK YOU VERY MUCH PRETTY HUMAN!" Papyrus gave her an appreciative smile in return. Her face flushes and she quickly excuses herself. Sans watches as she runs over to a coworker, giggling and glancing back at his brother occasionally. He looks down at his bacon grilled cheese sandwich, thoughts wandering to when they had first appeared out the mountain. It was chaotic and opinions were split, but it was much more common to be treated with scorn. Nowadays people didn't even bat an eye at seeing a monster, some like the waitress even found them attractive.  
  
He picks up a fork and prods the toasted bread. "SANS DON'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!" Papyrus chastises. Sans looks up, " **fork** give me, where are my manners" "SANS PLEASE!" Papyrus gave his brother a look of disdain before taking a bite of his pasta.  
  
"THIS SPAGHETTI... IS AMAZING." Papyrus holds up the decorated plate to his face, "EVERYONE MUST KNOW!" In one fluid motion his phone is in his hands. Little beeps sounded, followed by flashes of light from the camera. Papyrus swiped through a few images before he found an acceptable angle. As he starts to type up a post a segmented robotic arm slides onto his femur, causing him to jump a little. His eyelights dart to the side and meet with a rather handsome humanoid robot. "Oh darling, I should have brought the camera crew so you could have some better photos" he says.  
  
Papyrus shakes his skull, "N-NO NEED. I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE PICTURES. THANK YOU METTATON."  Mettaton cranes his neck over to look at the half written tweet, "My, that is some nice camera work!" Papyrus began to sweat, "O-OF COURSE. I AM VERY GREAT AFTER ALL." Mettaton is now leaning completely against the tall skeleton, looking up at him seductively, "A man of many talents I see~"  
  
Suddenly the table shakes violently before going still. Mettaton looks across the table at the smaller skeleton. His fork was stabbed into the sandwich and his sockets devoid of any lights. An ever present grin plastered on his face, "could you **pasta** sauce please Mettaton". The robot quickly retreats back to his chair and slides a bottle of ketchup toward Sans.  
  
Sans maintains face contact with Mettaton as he slowly wraps his phalanges around the neck of the bottle and squeezes it. Mettaton, clearly getting the message turns to his companions on his other side, "So my darlings! Frisk and Toriel how have the two of you been!?" Frisk had not failed to catch their small interaction and giggled, "Good! I made a lot of friends in school." Toriel stifled a chuckle, "The children at the school are so good, I couldn't be happier. How is your band?"  
  
"Oh it is absolutely fabulous. We plan on going on tour! It is truly a pity that Alphys and Undyne could not make it today. My schedule will be full for a while." Mettaton peeks at Papyrus from under his bangs, "Of course I always have time to spare for my favorite fan!" He flicks his black locks dramatically, "Where are those two lovebirds any who? I wanted to give everyone tickets to the next show!"  
  
"They're at the beach, celebrating their anniversary," Frisk chirped.  
  
Mettaton clasped his hands together, "Ah yes that is today! How wonderful! To be in LOVE~" His words was directed entirely to the object of his affection. However Papyrus was seemingly too engrossed in his spaghetti to notice. Mettaton pouts a little and turns back to Toriel, asking her for more details about the school. Once his back was turned Papyrus blushed fiercely. It had been a year since he became aware of Mettaton's advances. He struggled with understanding the complicated transition from being a fan to having feelings for his famous friend. Papyrus wasn't ignorant, he just lacked experience and his research on the internet only made him more confused.  
  
Sans was aware of what was happening and supported his brother. He didn't care for all the public affection Mettaton heaped on his brother even if he meant no harm. Other than preventing the robot from jumping Papyrus in public, Sans tried his best to keep out of his brother's romantic business.  
  
Frisk turns towards Sans with a face full of mischief, "So when do you plan on dating?"  
  
Sans chokes on his sandwich, "woah kiddo. that's a little.." Mettaton whips around, star instincts kicking in, "DARLING! Sans doesn't get out enough to meet anyone, much less DATE!"  
  
"i'm just not interested in anyone" Sans shrugs, eager to end the conversation.  
  
"Truly a pity! What is your type? I could try to set up a blind date~" Mettaton wasn't willing to let it go that easily.  
  
"i'll pass. thanks Mettaton"  
  
"Come now darling, I know you don't really leave your house but is there NO ONE that comes to mind at all? At least an ideal?"  
  
Sans maintains a straight face as he answers, "no one."  
  
Mettaton brushed his bang to side in surrender, "You're no fun sweetheart."  
  
Toriel clears her throat, "It's none of our business if Sans is dating or not. It's his life." She glares sternly at Mettaton. Disappointed, he sits back down to finish his meal. Frisk pouts, clearly hoping for some juicy gossip. Papyrus remained uncharacteristically quiet during the whole ordeal.  
  
The rest of the afternoon ends peacefully. Mettaton parts from the group, giving them the tickets he promised. They could tell he regretted not being able to get more out of Sans. Papyrus graciously dropped off Toriel and Frisk at their home before heading home with his brother.  
  
Sans leans against the door watching the scenery flicker by. Drops of rain hit the window and slid away as the car moved forward. His eyes are starting to feel tired from being awake for so long. It was a miracle that he had not taken a nap yet. A yawn escapes him as his mind drifts to the conversation at lunch. Truthfully there was one person that came to mind but there was no way he was going to give Mettaton the satisfaction. To begin with, he had just started talking to Chrono. There were many obstacles he had to consider.  
  
Friends met online weren't always in the same area. The benefit of being on the net was being able to socialize with people from all over the world. They could be across the ocean for all he knew. Another problem was that he had still not come clean about being a monster. How would they react? He knew what Chrono's stance on monsters was already but people could think a certain way and act differently. Sans was all too aware of this fact. His brow ridges furrow as unpleasant memories begin to plague him.  
  
The sound of someone clearing their throat makes Sans sit up. He looks over to the driver seat. Papyrus was fidgeting ever so slightly. He always had his emotions on his face and Sans could read him like an open book. "you alright Pap?"  
  
Papyrus takes a deep breath before speaking, "SANS. I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY."  
  
"i know bro."  
  
"I'LL ALWAYS BE ON YOUR SIDE."  
  
"thank you?" Sans replied, confused as to where this conversation was going.  
  
"IF YOU EVER NEED DATING ADVICE. I CAN GLADLY SHARE MY INFINITE WISDOM WITH YOU."  
  
Sans chuckles a little, letting his brother continue without responding.  
  
"DO NOT HESITATE. I HAVE GONE ON A DATE BEFORE! THERE IS NO ONE THAT CAN RESIST MY CHARM."  
  
"course not, you're the coolest."  
  
Papyrus pulls into the driveway of their house and turns off the car. The rain has turned into a light sprinkle now. "THE TRUTH IS... SANS. I KNOW YOU HAVE DATED BEFORE."  
  
Startled, his eye sockets widen at his younger brother. Sure he had gone out here and there but he made sure to keep it out of the house and as low profile as possible.  
  
"YOU NEVER INTRODUCED ME TO ANY OF THEM."  
  
Sans buried his face in his hands. The last thing he wanted to do was lie to Papyrus. His brother's concerned face made it even harder to think up an excuse. He let out a resigned sigh, "that's because they didn't work out."  
  
"WHY? WAS IT BECAUSE YOU LIVE WITH ME?"  
  
"what? no! there were... complications."  
  
"PLEASE. I AM YOUR BROTHER. YOU CAN TELL ME ANYTHING."  
  
Sans takes a deep breath, "it wasn't really me they were in love with."  
  
"THEY MUST HAVE POOR EYESIGHT."  
  
A snort erupts from Sans, unwillingly.  
  
"HOW DOES SOMEONE MISTAKE WHO THEY ARE IN LOVE WITH?"  
  
He couldn't help but smile at his brother's words of confusion. Papyrus had a knack for being able to find just the right words to make his worries seem silly from another perspective.  
  
"IT MUST BE HARD FOR THEM TO BE UNABLE SEE WHAT THEY MISSED OUT ON. IT'S NOT AS GREAT A LOSS AS IT WOULD BE TO NEVER MEET ME BUT IT IS STILL DEVASTATING." he continues with his determined speech, "THE NEXT TIME YOU DATE, YOU SHOULD BRING THEM HOME SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY HAVE PROPER CORRECTIVE LENSES."  
  
"gee, i don't want to make a **spectacle** out of them."  
  
Papyrus opens the driver side door, "I'M GOING INSIDE." Sans snickers, getting out of the vehicle from his side. The rain had stopped completely at this point, thin clouds littered the darkening sky. Papyrus locks the car and stomps toward the house with Sans following close behind.  
  
As they enter the house Papyrus suddenly stiffens, "I FORGOT TO GET GROCERIES FOR DINNER!" He dives back outside with a sense of urgency that Sans was almost jealous of. The amount of energy Papyrus spent in everything he said or did was admirable. Sans kicked off his sneakers at the front door to dry. The effects of staying up all night and then going out with everyone was too much, Sans wearily makes his way to the bedroom. He gives his computer a sidelong glance before deciding against it. "sorry Chrono", he mumbles while shaking off his jacket. He was way too tired to be playing games even if he really wanted to. There was always tomorrow.  
  
Sans flops onto his bed and pulls his pillow into his face. One of his legs finds its way under the comforter giving him just enough warmth to close his eyes and sleep.  
  
\--------------  
  
Why is waking up from an alarm so much worse than waking up naturally? Your palm slaps the beeping phone as it screeches for you get up. You blink a few times, trying to resist the urge to keep them closed. A part of your mind whispered that it was still ok to sleep. But then you realized it was because of the lack of a job and groaned.  
  
It was early evening, the rain had stopped. You ruffle your hair out of its bed induced mess. A chime rings from the phone. It was a text from Varian.  
  
V-boi: Are you dead?  
  
Me: Still alive.  
  
V-boi: I saw you leveled a bunch, are you logging on today?  
  
Me: Dunno yet. How were your friends?  
  
V-boi: Good good. Had some eggs thrown at me that was fun.  
  
Me: Sounds **egg** citing.  
  
V-boi: Lord please. I take it you've been hanging out Eclipse.  
  
Me: Whatever gave you that idea.  
  
You decide to finally get out of bed. You're awake now and if the grumbling in your tummy was any indication, you were hungry.  
  
V-boi: Because he embodies puns. That is his cursed existence.  
  
Me: You love it.  
  
V-boi: Yes. But I'm never admitting it to him. Changing the topic, what are you doing tomorrow afternoon?  
  
Me: Uhh absolutely nothing.  
  
V-boi: I found this bakery I really want to try. Want to come?  
  
Me: Sure that sounds like a good change of pace.  
  
Your stomach growls again at the thought. There was still a lot of time between now and tomorrow. Jaina most likely already left for work. You leave the room and look around. Her coat was missing from the rack and the house is quiet. A cookbook sits on the dining table, open to a section on lasagna. The sight of the colorful pictures almost makes you drool. Your phone vibrates in your hand.  
  
V-boi: Alright I'll swing by after three.  
  
You send an emote of an animal with a thumbs up and a giant OK in the background.  
  
All that's left now is to feed the hungry beast living in your belly. Your search of the kitchen turns out to be futile as you recall Jaina saying that she wouldn't be shopping for another two days. The supermarket was a block away but a part of you really didn't want to go outside.  
  
You sigh and get ready to leave anyway. After all you didn't feel like spending the night starving away. Once you were sure that you had your wallet and keys, you leave the house and lock the door. The cold air bites at your face, "Dang it's already autumn." Even though it was still 5 in the afternoon the sky was already almost completely dark. The clouds didn't do much to help. You briskly walk down the street toward the shopping strip.  
  
You and Jaina only lived a few blocks away from pretty much anything. Pharmacies, grocery stores, and all sorts of fast food joints. The location was too good for the price. Cars whizzed by as the last bit of people were returning home from their jobs. You huddle into your coat trying to retain any heat you could. It only takes you ten minutes to reach your destination, DiscountMart.  
  
You spot the carts lined up along the wall and move to grab one of the smaller half carts. A person greets you as you walk in. You're never sure if they're smiling because they want to be here or because that's just what the job requires you to do. You return their greeting with a quick smile before moving on.  
  
Making your way past all the aisles, you glance briefly at all the signs trying to figure out what you wanted to eat. You weren't in the mood for snacks or soda but didn't really want to cook either. The deli is the only place that comes to mind. Pre packaged food wasn't always the best but sometimes it was just easier to settle for mediocre. You pick up some sandwiches, weighing between ham or roast beef. After inspecting the containers for a few minutes you set them both down and try to look for something more adventurous. A lone package sits on a cooler shelf calling out to you. It was spaghetti. Curiously you pick it up and turn it in your hands, "Who eats premade spaghetti?" you wonder to yourself.  
  
Then you recall the lasagna in the cookbook... spaghetti was just noodly lasagna wasn't it? That was probably too much of a generalization but you toss the package into the cart anyway, set on eating something close to a lasagna. You move an aisle over to the condiments section. You couldn't remember if there was still parmesan at home or not but didn't want to risk going home and finding out the hard way.  
  
For some reason the store had decided that it would be a good idea to have all of the parmesan on the very top of the unnecessarily large shelves. You weren't short but it would still be a struggle to reach up that high. You look left and right for a worker but there are none in sight. Figures when you actually need help with something they're nowhere to be found. Determined to get the cheese you get as close to the shelf as possible and stick your arm up. The tips of your fingers graze the bottom of the bottles. You hop a little and wave your arms fruitlessly.  
  
A shadow looms above you and an arm reaches up, grabbing a bottle of parmesan before lowering it to your side as if in offering. You turn around to greet a rather tall... skeleton. You squeak a little in surprise, not expecting to have to crane your neck back so far. He steps back, giving you some space while also making it easier to look at him. This must be the most fashionable skeleton you have ever met, and you've only met one. He was decked head to toe in fetching clothing.  
  
He offers the bottle of grated cheese to you once again, "WAS THIS WHAT YOU NEEDED, HUMAN?" You nod your head furiously before accepting the bottle, "Thank you very much!" His voice was loud but not threatening, it was strangely relaxing. He motions at your cart, "IS THAT YOURS?" You nod again, "Yup that's my dinner." He squints at you before speaking again, "SPAGHETTI IS A GREAT CHOICE. HOWEVER THAT PORTION IS VERY SMALL. DO ALL HUMANS EAT SO LITTLE?"  
  
"Er.. no these just have smaller amounts because they're premade," you look over at his cart to see it full of fresh ingredients. The child seat had boxes of spaghetti in them.  
  
"I SEE. DO YOU LIKE SPAGHETTI?"  
  
The answer to this question is painfully clear, "Yes. I love it."  
  
He puts his hands on his hips and smiles, "OF COURSE. EVERYONE LIKES SPAGHETTI. I MAKE ONE OF THE BEST TASTING ONES."  
  
You try to contain a giggle. His unabashed confidence didn't come off as conceited at all. In fact it almost felt charming.  
  
He holds out his hand, "GREETINGS. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS. IT ALWAYS NICE TO MEET A FELLOW SPAGHETTI ENTHUSIAST."  
  
You reach out and shake his hand shyly, "Hi I'm ____."  
  
"IT WAS GOOD MEETING YOU ____. AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT THIS PREMADE SPAGHETTI, I NEED TO GET HOME AND MAKE DINNER."  
  
You smile, "Is it going to be spaghetti?"  
  
His shocked face tells you that you guessed correctly, "NOT ONLY DO YOU LIKE SPAGHETTI, YOU CAN ALSO READ MINDS!"  
  
You laugh, "No, I just guessed because of the things in your cart. Reading minds is im **pasta** ble for me!"  
  
He freezes and you realize what you just said. Ever since meeting Eclipse you have been trying a lot harder to think of on the spot puns so he wouldn't leave you in the dust every time.  
  
"NYEHEHEHEH. I KNOW SOMEONE WHO ALSO MAKES TERRIBLE PUNS." he chuckles.  
  
"O-oh?"  
  
"YES. MY LAZY BROTHER. HE IS PROBABLY SLEEPING NOW. ACTUALLY..." his hand comes up and rests on his chin. He stares at you intently, "YOU ARE EATING SPAGHETTI AND WE ARE ALSO EATING SPAGHETTI."  
  
You fidget nervously under his gaze, unsure where he's going with this.  
  
"YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE SPAGHETTI WITH US." he smiles proudly at his idea.  
  
Your eyes widen. "Eh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to use bold instead for puns. Makes it easier to read I think?
> 
> I had a really hard time writing this chapter... at least four rewrites. It's also very long because I couldn't figure out where I wanted to end it. Hope you guys enjoy it at least.


	6. Desert

"Ehhh?"

You're halfway through the parking lot now, spaghetti in one hand and a skeletal hand in the other. What is happening? Let's recap. You met a very well dressed skeleton monster in the supermarket. He is now leading you to his car. A complete stranger was taking you to his vehicle. This is when reasoning comes back to you and your feet dig into the floor in an attempt to stop further progression. The jerking causes Papyrus to look back at you, confused. You pull your hand back and look around for any spectators before speaking. Confident that there was no one around to be nosy, you to turn back toward Papyrus, "We just met! There's no way I can just go to your house!"

His face falls like a dejected puppy, making you almost regret yelling at him, before perking back up again. Wow he recovers fast. "I SEE YOU ARE THE SHY TYPE! MY APOLOGIES I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PERCEPTIVE." The grocery bags swing haphazardly around his arm as he puts his hand to his chest. "THERE IS NO NEED TO BE INTIMIDATED BY MY GREATNESS."

Your jaw drops at his shameless boasting. Never before have you met someone like this. Somewhere in the back of your mind, there was a voice telling you that there was no way he actually meant that. You shake your head, "Erm... yeah! You're too amazing I don't think I'm ready to be in your home yet." You weren't even sure what you were talking about anymore. It felt easier to just go along with it.

He rubs his mandible thoughtfully, "PERHAPS I AM BEING TOO HASTY. WE SHOULD BECOME PROPERLY ACQUAINTED FIRST."

'That would be the natural thing.' you think to yourself. Papyrus didn't seem like a bad person from what you can tell. Maybe he just never invited someone over before? Or didn't interact with humans enough... You decide it's best just to give him benefit of the doubt, "How about we exchange numbers? That way we can get to know each other and reschedule the whole dinner thing."

Judging by the blindingly pure smile he was shooting at you, the idea was well received. You pull out your phone from your jeans, "Do you have infrared?"

"YES! ALPHYS SHOWED ME HOW TO MAKE IT WORK." he holds up his phone toward you expectantly.

He shared a lot more information than most other people you knew. Normally you would say 'my friend' or something along those lines, right? You tap the confirmation to start the transmitter. An animation flickers on your screen briefly before being replaced with new contact information.

"WONDERFUL! I WILL BE SURE TO SEND YOU PICTURES OF MY TANTALIZING SPAGHETTI EVERY DAY. THAT SHOULD SUFFICIENTLY PREPARE YOU FOR OUR FUTURE MEALS." he grins proudly.

You laugh nervously, "Maybe not every day."

"BUT HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT?" he gives you a quizzical look. How do you say no to that face and tone? The gears in your brain turn, trying to weigh the pros and cons of having spaghetti sent to you on a daily basis. Does it really even matter? You have unlimited data on your phone anyway. Plus it's only once a day. It could be worse. He could have said every hour. You shudder at the thought, "I would love to see your creations every day."

"EXCELLENT!" he pulls you into a hug, lifting you off the ground a few inches. Your nose is immediately assaulted by the strong scent of herbs, fresh tomatoes, laundry detergent and something else that you can't quite place. His body gives off a warmth that you wouldn't expect from someone made entirely of bones. 'I wonder if it's monster magic?', you ponder. After a minute of dangling awkwardly from his strangely firm grip, he releases you.

"Well I should really be heading home then." you motion in the direction of your house. He nods in agreement, "AS SHOULD I! IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING YOU ____. I LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHERING OUR FRIENDSHIP."

You giggle at his wording, "Yeah, same to you Papyrus."

\--------------

The next day.

\--------------

You blink at the ceiling. It's two in the afternoon now. You arrived back home last night to a very drunk Jaina. She managed to coerce you into a few hours of monopoly in which the rules consisted of drinking every time you landed on a property. Which would normally be very unhealthy. Luckily she was already so far gone that she didn't notice you were only sipping ginger ale. But it was still exhausting keeping up with her antics. To top it off, the packaged spaghetti was awful. It was bland and left a strange texture in your mouth even after brushing your teeth.

You click your tongue a few times, yup, the aftertaste was still there. Your nose scrunches in distaste. Maybe some mouthwash would help get it all out. You push the comforter off your body. For once you're awake before the alarm goes off. Your hand reaches to the side to grab your noise maker off the bedside table before it begins ringing.

Today was the day you to go to the bakery with Varian. He hasn't sent you a text about it yet but getting ready ahead of time never hurt anyone. Hopping to your feet, you make your way to the bathroom. Halfway down the hallway you hear a groan from the living room.

Jaina is sprawled on the sofa, dangerously close to falling off. The monopoly board is on her stomach, fake money scattered everywhere. You walk over to her and gently give her shoulder a shake, "Jaina. Hey you should go to your bed at least." She swats your hand away, "I am in bed!" You press your finger against her face, "You're on the sofa." She opens her eyes halfway to look at you, then takes in her surroundings, "What happened?"

"You got wasted and fell asleep on the coach." You start collecting all the monopoly bucks, stacking them neatly on the coffee table.

Jaina groans, "I feel like shit."

"You basically pickled your liver last night. I wouldn't be surprised," you snicker.

She chuckles softly in response, "This lumpy death trap probably didn't help. Thanks for waking me up though. I need to get rid of this hangover before work."

"No problem. I have plans today so I won't be able to lock the door when you leave."

Jaina gives you a thumbs up, "Got it."

\--------------

After furiously gargling mouth wash, you return to your room. The phone rings, as if sensing your arrival. You pick up the phone and see Varian's smug mug on your screen. You made the mistake of leaving your phone with him once. He had taken the opportunity to take a picture of himself for his contact entry and you just never bothered to change it. You tap the green 'pick up' button and attempt the most nasally voice you can muster.

"Hello this is Pizza Shack. What can I do for you?"

"... A flatbread with spinach and anchovies. No sauce. Add some pineapples while you're at it."

You choke a little on mental image, "Please tell me you don't actually order that."

"I would if they let me. You ready for our lunch engagement?"

You grab some jeans and a shirt from the closet at random, "I will be when you get here."

He laughs, "I like that you don't take forever but would it kill you to put a little more effort in your appearance. This is why you're still single."

"Alright, alright, I'll see you when you get here you **pizza shit." You hit the end call button and toss the phone onto the bed.

You're used to the jabs at your romantic life. Admittedly you haven't been looking for any relationships for a while. You had your own life to worry about. It didn't seem like a wise idea to involve someone else. Especially now. The idea of going on a date with someone and having the dreaded, "so what do you do for a living?" question come up. You can already imagine the combined looks of pity and disappointment when you tell them you're not working.

You give yourself a once over in the mirror. No random tags or stickers. It would be embarrassing to get pulled to the side by a stranger, or worse, Varian, because you forgot to check and walked around without a care in the world. You quickly brush out any remnants of bed hair and slip on some sneakers. Right on cue, the door bell rings, signalling your friend's arrival. You retrieve your phone and make your way to the door.

\--------------

"Let me get this straight. You decided to walk home in the rain after getting egged-"

"I just got my seats upholstered!" Varian cuts in indignantly.

"Right. So you walked home in the rain and ran into an 'attractive' person in front of a bakery. That person was the owner of the bakery and offered you an umbrella?"

"Yup."

"And this trip is to return the umbrella."

"Yes."

"Then the reason I got invited was because you were too **chicken** to go alone!" you exclaim.

"When you say it like that it makes me feel less manly- Wait was that a pun?" his eyebrows furrow.

Your snort, "Your brain is more **scrambled** than I expected. I'll be glad to give you **egg** cellent moral support."

"It's like I don't even know you anymore." he groans.

Varian pulls into a parking spot near a quaint looking building. You hop out of the passenger seat and walk to the front of the shop. There's a cute green and white striped awning over the door and window. The front display had various delicious looking pastries and donuts decorated in spider motifs. The door decal intrigues you. It was eye-catching by itself but what is said was even more interesting, "Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!"

Now it wasn't like you had arachnophobia but it's not like seeing them didn't make your skin crawl. Varian was standing next to you now, umbrella under his arm. You scowl, "You didn't tell me there were spiders."

He smiles innocently at you before grabbing your arm, "I'm too chicken so I need you." You whine as he yanks you through the doorway. A small bell chimes and you instinctively close your eyes. The smell of fresh bread and sweets hits your nose when the two of you step inside. A small chime rings from what you can only assume is a door bell. You slowly open one eye to peek around, bracing yourself for creepy crawlers.

The inside of the bakery looks like a cafe. Tasteful wooden tables and chairs line the walls. There is a long counter with a mouth watering display of bread and cakes. That's when you spot the spiders. Or rather... the small pom poms with legs. A few of them are working together to move a rag in circular motions on one of the tables. Both your eyes are open now, gradually widening, looking around more carefully. There are dozens of them, all tasked with their own jobs.

A velvety voice calls out, ripping your attention from the small adorable working puffs.

"Welcome dearies~ what can I do for you?"

You turn to the owner of the voice to find an anthropomorphic spider. Her jet black hair is tied in two pigtails with red ribbons, gently framing her lavender face. Five black eyes blink independently in your direction. Her six arms are in the process of multitasking between folding boxes and counting money. An intricately embroidered apron covers what looks to be a red blouse and skirt.

Varian releases your arm and waves at her, "I came to return your umbrella." Her two middle hands come together in a soft clap, "How lovely~ but you didn't have to, I rarely use the darn thing." Varian runs his hand through his hair sheepishly, "I couldn't possibly pass up an excuse to see such a beautiful person again." She pauses to be absorb this new information. The edge of her lips curl into a coy smirk. You can see two fangs poking out now.

"Well I hope you plan on buying something~ then you'll have a better excuse."

Varian slides an umbrella over the counter toward her, "If I'm going to be a regular then I hope you can tell me your name."

"Is it not common for humans to introduce themselves first before asking for the identity of another?"

"How rude of me! I am known as Varian."

She deftly removes the umbrella from the counter, placing it somewhere underneath the counter, "And I am known as Muffet~"

You don't what he was afraid of. The two of them look to be hitting it off nicely. You start to check out the display. Everything is neatly arranged on the shelves with the same spider motif the window display had. You see one of the spider monsters walking around the bottom of the glass, sweeping crumbs and stray sprinkles. Suddenly you're reminded of the decal on the door, "Are these really made of spiders?"

Muffet laughs, "Yes~ My little ones have a very short life span and multiply constantly. It means the world to them to be consumed and enjoyed." You stare at her incredulously. She holds out her hand and one of the spiders hops onto her palm, "Do not worry dearie~ they certainly don't. The human officials already came and inspected everything. They found nothing wrong. Much to their dismay."

Varian inspects the sweets curiously, "We should try something... what do you think ____?" You make your way over the display and scan the small labels written in cursive. All the flavors were the standard you would see in any bakery. You weren't feeling particularly hungry but something to wash out the, still lingering, spaghetti taste was more than welcome. "I would like a cupcake! What would you recommend?" you ask Muffet. She smiles gently, "If you don't have any allergies I can pick my favorite~" Varian quickly chimes in, "I'll take what she's having!"

She pulls out two small cupcakes, "I hope they are to your taste~ I'm always happy to see humans enjoy our goods. It makes living on the surface much more fulfilling~" You watch as she places the cupcakes in a small decorated box and exchanges it with Varian's debit card. Her hands move methodically, swiping the card and turning the tablet for a signature.

After receiving the receipt, Varian turns to you, "Well I did what I came to do and we got some treats to try! Should we head out?"

You nod, excited to try the cupcake. Muffet waves as the two of you filter out of the shop. "Do come again deary~" You flash a smile backwards, "Will do!"

You're about to let the door swing close when you notice a hooded figure brush past you. They had their head down and hands in their hoodie pockets. It was odd to have your hood up on a clear day but who were you to judge.

Before you could get a better look, Varian calls to you from the lot, "Hurry up or I'll eat your share!" You jerk back towards him, "DON'T YOU DARE!" 

\--------------

A part of you was still a little hesitant to eat, what was essentially, a dead monster turned into a confection. But if science didn't see anything wrong with it and the spiders themselves don't mind, was there any other excuse?

You wait patiently for Varian to divvy up the sweets. He passes you a purple cupcake with pale pink icing. The frosting is shimmering as if sprinkled with glitter. Other than the obvious magical aspect of that, the cupcake looked like any other cupcake you've seen.

You turn it around in your hands a few times, analyzing it. Varian does the same. "You ever have monster food before?" he asks.

You shake your head, "Never. You?"

"I was offered some before but never really got the chance."

"On three?"

His eyes sparkle with anticipation, "On three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!" you both yell simultaneously before biting into the small cake.

It was... heavenly. There was no other word to describe it. Soft yet firm. The frosting almost melted in your mouth. It was just sweet enough and had a mellow aftertaste. Before you knew it, the cupcake had disappeared.

The both of you sigh, satisfied, but sad at how quickly it ended. After a few minutes of content silence you hear Varian rummaging through the box. You peer over at him. His face has a questioning look on it.

He holds up a note that doesn't look like the receipt. The paper looked ripped out of a notepad. Your eyes grow wide as the writing on it becomes clear to you.

It's a set of numbers with a small doodle of a spider.

Varian inhales sharply before letting out a victorious yell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! I've been extremely busy for the past few months. It's been chaos. Also had a bit of a writer's block. Thank you to anyone who has stuck around <3


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